, 1887-11-03
A NOBLE LIHa.
n minated IN the Death OF Fsshss
wiibsr.


Bright's disease, aggravated by the
shock from his wife's death, and an
attack Of pneumonia contracted on
the return trip from the funeral at
Salem, J. IL. WILDER, ID. d., aged 76
years, l month and IA days. Memo
rial services will be held a. the home
of Mr.. Driver ut 6 o'clock this evening.
The remains have been embalmed and
will he taken tonight to Portland,
where memorial services will be held
at the Taylor street church at III
o'clock, q. M, Sunday. Funeral ser.
vice will be held vt the Salem M. f.
shurch on Monday ut IL u. M, the
sermon to be preached by Rev. l. ID.
Driver. Interment will be In the Lee
Mission cemetery ut Salem.
John II. WILDER was born at Low
vile, New York, September II, 1911,
and spent his boyhood on farm. His
parents, who were in comfortable cir
cum stances, were enabled to give their
son good collegiate education. They
were strict Presbyterians, and incul.
Gated the early religious teachings that
brought forth such abundant fruit OF
usefulness in mature life. He was
married March 9, 1881, to Lucinda
Ann Stephenson, who was his life COM
panion, going on before but II few days
prior to his decease. One month after
their marriage both were converted
and Joined the NJ. H. church. His
early life was given to secular pursuits
and politics, and while yet IA very
young man he held the position OF
sheriff of Lewis county, in the state OF
New York
His resolve to consecrate his life to
the ministry was made before he was
30 years old. June 27, 1910, he was
licensed to exhort; June ID. 1912, he
was licensed to preach June 81, 1874,
he was ordained deacon by Bishop Ed
win s. James: August 4, 1916, he was
ordained an elder: and Oct. 27, 1876,
he was transferred by Bishop Hedding
as a missionary to the Pacific coast,
reaching Portland June 81, lS47. His
first work on the coast was ut Salem,
where he preached for two years, and
himself and wife taught in Willamette
university.
From Salem he was transferred to
Oregon City, where he labored for two
years, and thence to Portland, where
he labored for three years AT the be-
ginning of his ministrations Mt Port
land he gathered the people together
in log cooper shop, with barrel for
Al pulpit and rails for benches. In
three years he had built neat church,
where Taylor street church now stands,
parsonage and the Portland ucade
my, at II total cost of S37 900, which
was very large sum for Portland at
that time. The earnest energy and
thorough devotion of Father Wilbur in
everything he undertook is fttingly
illustrated by his labors in the Port
land field. He did with his might
what his hands found to do, grubbing
stumps Ia forest of fir trees occupied
the site of the Taylor street church,
telling trees, hauling away logs. mixing
mortar, and doing whatever was neces-
sary to advance the work.
1t is related of him, that party OF
Boston gentlemen heard him preach
in the log cooper shop, and called the
next day to pay their respects to the
earnest and talented preacher. APP
preaching u laborer on the grounds,
they inquired of him il he could tell
them where Mr.. Wilbur lived. He told
them he could. They inquired If Mr..
Wilbur would probably be at home.
He told them he thought not. They
asked him where they would probably
fnd Mr.. Wilbur, and were struck with
amazement and vivid conception of
resolute faith along with works upon
being informed that the common labor
cr addressed WAS Mr.. Wilbur, the
preacher of the previous day.
After his Portland labors, he was APP
pointed presiding elder OF the Umpqua
district, in which there was no organ
lied church and only three members,
one OF whom was Mrs. Wilbur. He
labored in that district four years, and
left it with the proud record of four
and parsonages built, the
Wilbur academy and ten organized
churches. He left that field TO accept
the appointment of presiding elder of
the Portland district from which he
was transferred to the Columbia dis
trict as presiding elder in 1853.
Travel for the performance of cleri
cal duties WAS not in palace cars in
those days. Father Wilbur accom-
plished the journey from Portland to
Walla Walla on horseback, and got
lost ON the way. having to subsist on
rosebuds for three days. Arriving ut
Walla Wslla, he held his first service
and organized the first M. +. church
in the court house, building con-
structed with olapboards, in which
was nothing but q ground floor.
In 1861, under the peace policy Of
the Indian department, and upon the
recommendation of church authori-
nes, he WAS appointed Indian agent
nt Simcoe reservation, among the
Yakima Indians. He held this po--
sition for 22 years, and so admins
tered his trusts AS to be held in reve-
sence by the Indians he was with so